A few proposed residential developments ran into concern from
neighbors at the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, amid fears of
flooding and increased traffic.

One project, a proposed 90-lot subdivision off of Hoo Shoo Too Road,
was deferred by the commission so the developer can do a study on drainage and
flooding issues. The others, a 39-home project off of Perkins Road and a 176-unit
project in North Baton Rouge, were approved by the planning commission.

Approval of developer George Robinson Jr.'s Mallard Trails project was deferred for 60 days by the East Baton Rouge Planning Commission Tuesday.Diana Samuels

The proposed "Mallard Trails" development off of Hoo Shoo Too
Road, east of Wood Duck Drive, was deferred for 60 days. Developer George
Robinson Jr. is seeking to build the subdivision on about half of his 100-acre
property.

Robinson and G. Wayne Sledge, of GWS Engineering Inc.,
emphasized that the proposed project includes lots of green space and is low
density: The project's density is only about 1.6 lots per acre, while the
developers said city code would allow them to build as much as 4.1 lots per
acre.

"This project meets all the requirements, all the rules, all
the regulations," Sledge said. "It meets every single rule in the book."

But several neighbors expressed concerns that the area is
susceptible to flooding and further development could channel floodwaters onto
their own properties.

They also worried that already-bad traffic on Hoo Shoo Too
Road could worsen with the development, and said it could detract from the
rural feel of their neighborhood.

"We love the rolling hills and we love what we have," said
Brent Rhodes, the developer who developed the neighboring Mallard Lakes
subdivision. "What (Robinson's) trying to do is defeat what we've had there for
the last 20 years."

Robinson and Sledge said they're confident drainage and
flooding won't be a problem. The development's homes will all be above flood
levels, and it's low-density enough that it won't affect neighboring homes,
they said.

Still, planning commissioners appeared reluctant to approve
the project Tuesday. Robinson and Sledge said they would put together a
drainage impact study to further analyze any potential flooding issues in the
area.

Another development, the "Myrtle Bluff" subdivision, was
approved by the commission and now needs a building permit. The 10-acre
project, on the north side of Perkins Road between Madeira Drive and Myrtle
Grove Drive, would include 39 single-family homes.

A handful of neighbors, mostly from the Homewood
subdivision, said the project would bring significant extra traffic through
their neighborhoods.

"Our roads are not ready to handle the thoroughfare that
this development would create," said Greg Dupre, a Homewood resident.

Developer Brian Dantin, however, pointed out that the main
access to the neighborhood will be through the neighboring Lake Anselmo development,
currently under construction. That appeared enough to please commissioners, who
approved the project.

Commissioners also gave concept plan approval to the
"LaFleur Oaks" project at Blount Road and Gibbens Road in North Baton Rouge,
just north of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. The proposed 4.21-acre
project includes 88 single-family homes and 88 townhomes.

A few residents of the adjacent Cypress Heights subdivision
said they were concerned about traffic from the development entering their
neighborhood via Ashworth Drive, one of three outlets proposed for the new
development. The developer offered to drop that connection, and the project was
approved.

The Metropolitan Council is
scheduled to consider the project on Feb. 20.